Sins of Angels (The Complete Collection)

by Larkin, Matt

  He smiled at her and she left.

  Poor Caleb.

  The voice echoed in his mind, soothing and full of pity. At first he thought Apollo had reached out across the stars to torment him … But he knew that voice. Rebekah.

  “How are you doing this?”

  I’ve always touched you, love.

  She was an Angel. A damned telepath. Like Apollo. That was how he’d done all this. And Rebekah … She’d been in his mind … all along? Even with the anti-telepathy chip? Apollo must have left loop holes for himself and his minions.

  Of course, my sweet.

  She always knew just what he needed. She always knew exactly how to turn him on. To turn him away from his wife. She was like all his other little affairs, except he could never cast her aside.

  Because I love you.

  “Shut up! You love nothing, monster! You turned on my family! You claim to love me, but you let them die. That’s not love—it is the grossest of betrayal.”

  Caleb … I had no choice.

  God, she’d manipulated him from the day they met. He’d thought he was using her. But it was the other way around. She was no innocent nineteen-year-old girl … She was a succubus sent to lead him astray. She and Apollo had helped him rise through the ranks of Jericho Corp. Ensuring they had a puppet on the throne.

  Please, Caleb. Forgive me. I did what I had to.

  “Go to Hell, Rebekah. If that’s even your name.”

  My name … was Naamah. And I … You don’t understand, Caleb. I didn’t have a choice. Apollyon is my master. We cannot control the Beast. We cannot live without the implants.

  Naamah. Had he heard the name before? Maybe if he’d paid more attention in history class he’d know. Void, Rachel probably would. Was it possible she meant what she said? That she truly loved him? Or could this be yet one more manipulation?

  But … It seemed she had nothing left to gain by it.

  He was broken. Powerless.

  As she claimed to be. Powerless to fight against Apollo and his commands. Powerless against the Beast. Because of her implants … The cybernetics?

  Which explained why he was as damned as she was.

  Caleb …

  “Stay out of my head!”

  He beat his fists on the floor until his strength was spent, then collapsed onto his arms.

  And he wept.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY

  May 9th

  A war among Angels divided them between those who had joined the Adversary and those who sought to continue to rule the universe.

  Knight sat with his back pressed against the wall, Phoebe in his arms, leaning against his chest. They were naked, and the extreme heat of her body was like a sauna, relaxing away all the tension in his muscles.

  “I’ve been thinking,” she said.

  “Mmm.”

  “How about Ekron? My family is there. We could afford a nice condo, something with a view.”

  Knight rubbed his hands over her shoulders. So smooth. So hot. He dipped his fingers lower, to trace a line around her nipple. “You want to settle down?”

  “Yup, I think so. And if you don’t stop that, you’d better be prepared to finish what you’re starting, or I’ll make you pay for it.”

  He laughed and kissed her ear. Once, he had dreamed of retiring to New Rome. But it was gone, and one day he would need to find a home. But Ekron … was a ball of ice. What the void would he do there?

  “It’s kind of cold, Phoebe.”

  “Yup. But I’ll keep you warm.”

  Sounded pleasant enough. “Rachel and David still need our help.”

  Phoebe snorted and jerked free of his grasp, then scooted away to face him. “Really? You have to go running every time they say so? Can you think about our own future for one second, Knight?”

  He leaned his head back. “Future? Ekron is in the NER. You know sooner or later the Angels will come for it. Unless David wins, our home would be …”

  “Haven’t we done enough?”

  Had they? He’d fought his whole life, and for what? Even following Rachel around, aiding her crusade, he wasn’t sure he could say the universe was a better place. He was a better person—he had to believe that—but sometimes it just seemed like they’d fucked things up even worse.

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  She folded her arms and stuck out her lip. “We said we were going to make babies.”

  Probably his best plan ever.

  And maybe it was time. Maybe he had done enough … But how could he leave like this? How could he leave Rachel and David to face such threats without him? He owed it to them to see this through to the end.

  “I’ll talk to Rachel. Maybe we can just take some time.”

  “Fine. Better than nothing, I guess.” She rose and began pulling her clothes back on.

  Knight sighed and did the same, then left to hunt down Rachel.

  He found her in the mess hall, staring at a tablet, fingers hopelessly entwined in her hair.

  Knight sat across from her, and she looked up.

  “Hey. Glad you’re here,” she said. “I’ve got something I need you to do.”

  “Well, I—”

  “David and I learned some things from Caleb, Knight. About the Angels, about the Adversary … I need the truth now. All of it. Without that we won’t be able to decide how to face things. We need to find out who the Angels really are and what the Adversary really is.”

  “You told me it was another universe.” Which would have made absolutely no sense if he hadn’t seen the thing himself. Knight was no scientist, and his education was limited. He knew nothing about theories of the Conduit, and until he’d met Rachel, had never even considered the idea of other universes. But there was something out there, beyond the reality he knew. And it was not pleasant.

  “It is. And Raziel has to know more about it than that. He’s been keeping secrets for far too long. It’s become force of habit for him. It’s time that changed. Humans are no longer children in need of protection.”

  Maybe she was right. Maybe the Angels had done all they had done because they thought of mankind as children. They had tried to protect humanity from the terrible truths they could not understand and the horrors they could not face. Like the truth about Eden.

  But if the Angels were no longer the defenders of humanity, Sentinels had to be. He’d sworn an oath as a Sentinel. He’d promised to become a guardian against the night … He who had once been one of those very threats in the darkness.

  “I … Phoebe and I were planning a trip to Ekron.”

  Rachel waved her hand. “Okay, sure. But first I need you to go to Gadara and meet Raziel, Knight.”

  “Gadara.”

  “He’s there, and frankly, I’d like him back here with us. We need to have a long chat.”

  “So call him on the fucking Mazzaroth.”

  “I doubt I’ll convince him to open up except in person. And David is too busy protecting NER worlds and recruiting more to take the Sephirot to Gadara. But he said he could arrange to meet the Wake of Stars this afternoon. Hannah could take you there.”

  Knight ran a hand over his hair. It had begun to grow out, and he wasn’t sure whether he’d have Phoebe buzz it again. He clucked his tongue. “Phoebe and I were hoping to take a break from all this …”

  Or, she was.

  And he could not blame her. This ship was no place to raise a family.

  “Knight. I need you. You’re the only one I know I can trust with this kind of thing.”

  Funny. He was the one people used to trust to maim and murder. Now he was the only one they trusted to save the holy universe. Void. He had become something beyond what he had ever dreamed of. A Sentinel.

  And Rachel was right. People did need him. It was bigger than his own hopes and dreams. Even those he shared with Phoebe. Besides, after all Rachel had done for him, he could not let her down. Not ever.

  “All right, Rachel. I’ll get ready.”
r />   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE

  May 10th

  Ironic that I begin to find myself sympathetic to the Adversary itself. They had tried to wipe out Eden, and that remains unforgivable. And yet … How far would I have gone to win freedom from the Angels?

  The Wake of Stars was a Sentinel battleship, one of the few loyal to the New Eden Republic. As such, it was returning to Eden, protecting it against any incursion by Angels or Asherah. But Gadara was a short trek through the Conduit from Eden, so Hannah Hertz had agreed to drop Knight off on her way back.

  And Phoebe, who had insisted on coming.

  Had she fought David over it? Or maybe the Calnehian had freely let his first officer go. He was the kind of man who understood matters of the heart and family.

  Hertz had given them an executive suite to share. Pretty posh, considering they weren’t even captains or diplomats. The room had a small lounge with a comfortable couch forming a semicircle around a table. Knight reclined there, feet on the table, trying to focus on the tablet displaying Gadara.

  Last damn planet in the holy universe he wanted to see.

  Of course Raziel owned the whole fucking system, so it didn’t surprise Knight he was there … But of all the people and all the places …

  Phoebe slipped into the booth beside him. “You all right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Yup, yup. I’m just fine, Phoebe,” she said, flapping her hand like a mouth and talking in a deeper voice. “Sure I don’t mind visiting the planet I was tortured on to meet the man who did it. Oh,” she returned to her normal voice, “well that’s big of you, Knight. Awfully considerate of Rachel to take that into account, wasn’t it?”

  “Phoebe—”

  “Why yes,” she said in the deep voice again, “I’m quite certain she took my feelings into account. She’s an empath, after all. And clearly always right. About every little fucking thing.”

  “Hey!” He shoved her shoulder. “I don’t sound like that. And anyway, I’m sure she thought about it … She just needs me.”

  “Yup, yup. She’s a real needy girl. But uh, hmm, you know … I need you, too! And which one of us is trying to have your baby? Huh? Is it Rachel? You know, I don’t think it is.”

  Shit. He’d known she wouldn’t be happy about delaying their trip to Ekron, but he’d hoped she would understand. “It’s not like that, Phoebe.”

  “What’s it like then, baby? ‘Cause from where I’m sitting, kinda seems like every time she needs anything, no matter how off rotation, you jump. You put yourself at risk for her every whim. You put our future at risk. You still lusting after her, ninja boy? Still thinking maybe you need to spread your seed around a bit more freely?”

  “No!” He had chosen Phoebe. Couldn’t she see he loved her? God, why did she have to be like this? Rachel was just … Rachel. There was no more romance between them. No more sexual tension.

  “Yup, well maybe you should have just fucked her once and got it out of your system.”

  Knight flinched before he could control the reflex.

  “Wh-what was that? Oh. My. God. You did sleep with her.” Phoebe stood and stared down at him. “You fucked her. Was it good?” He was pretty sure he shouldn’t answer that. “Be-before or after me, Knight?”

  “Before I ever met you.”

  “Oh well, at least there’s that. So you love her, too, huh?”

  Knight rose to stand beside her and look down into her eyes. He’d never seen her behave like this before. He’d always known she had a chip on her shoulder, but this was … “I do not love Rachel. Not the way I love you. And don’t act like you haven’t had other lovers before me, either.”

  “I never offered to have any of their babies!”

  Well … He had wanted a baby with Rachel … But that was a long time ago. “I chose you. I only want you.”

  Phoebe snorted, then narrowed her eyes, staring back into his. “So why do you have to do everything she says?”

  “Because I believe in her. Whatever mistakes she’s made, she’s made them for the right reasons. And I am the person I am today because of her. Try to understand, Phoebe. You know me. And you know me better than this.”

  She clenched her jaw, then punched his shoulder. After a moment she slumped against him, throwing her arms around his waist. “I know … I’m sorry. I just … why did it have to be us?”

  “You know how busy David was. And Rachel needed someone she could trust. I guess she figured I could handle just about any situation.”

  She laughed against his chest. “Yup, yup. That’s my ninja boy. Walk straight into danger like nothing can touch you.”

  That’s what he did. That’s who he was.

  But Phoebe had almost died on the Tabernacle.

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he said. “I’m not going to lose you.”

  “I was about to say the same thing.” She ran her hands along his back, and he shut his eyes from the soothing motion. “Knight …” she said after a while. “Rachel and David got married. That was kind of nice, you know? Old fashioned, but nice.”

  “Yeah. Quaint.”

  “So … You don’t believe in marriage?”

  He chuckled and pushed her away to look in her face. “I’ve found a single woman to spend my life with. I don’t need a piece of paper to tell the universe that. My own decision is enough.”

  She bobbed her head and shrugged. “Sure. Yup, of course.”

  Knight watched her as she walked away, to go grab a drink from the fridge. It wasn’t her nature to act so insecure. Not about Rachel. Not about anything. Which meant something had pierced her armor … Not just the wounds she sustained on the Tabernacle. A fear about Knight and Rachel. But he hadn’t given her reason to fear that … Not since they’d been together.

  So maybe someone else had.

  When he approached, she handed him a glass of water. “Sorry,” she said again. “And I don’t say that often, so you’d better savor it. Maybe mark it in a journal so you can look back on it and remember. You know, down the road when you’re wanting to hear it again but you won’t.”

  “Someone betrayed you before,” he said. “Someone you were serious with.”

  She sighed. “Your empathic powers finally coming in? Damn Psychs.”

  “No. Not really.” Other than fleeting sensations, confusing rushes he couldn’t make sense of, he had no empathic or telepathic gifts. He was an imperfect Nephilim, he supposed.

  “So you just read me. Even better. David was right.”

  He put a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me, Phoebe. You just have to know I’m not him. Whatever happened before, I’m not going to make the same mistake.”

  “No. I expect you’ll make all new ones. Excessive mistakes so blindly stupid I’ll be struck speechless.”

  “That would be a thing to see.”

  “All right, enough of that,” she said. “Time to do your duty.”

  “What?”

  “Come on, big guy. Baby-making. Get with the picture.”

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO

  Whatever they may have once been, the Angels have made themselves our enemies. They will not compromise. They will not even consider us equals. They know only domination. And to that, we can have only two responses. Submit or fight. I am tired of submission.

  The two emerging Angel ships looked like miniature versions of the Ark. Sleek black, organic hulls that shimmered in the starlight. Much like the Sephirot itself.

  David brought his ship around to meet the pair. A trio of Sentinel cruisers flanked the Sephirot, lending support. Forming a wall between the Angels and the planet beyond.

  Calneh. The world of David’s birth. He’d come to New Rome as a young man, but he still remembered the thick acrid skies of his homeworld. The festive pipe music men played after work. The sound of pubs filled with laughter.

  And the Angels had to know. He couldn’t believe it was coincidence they would choose
this planet for a strike. Not a place with such a middling population.

  No. His enemies knew who he was and they were targeting him. Two Angel ships were more than enough to render a planet lifeless.

  They thought they knew who he was.

  He was about to show them just how wrong they were.

  “Signal the cruisers to take the Angel ship to starboard. We’ll take the other one. Prep antiproton cannons, but lead with a missile barrage. All tubes. On my mark.”

  He eased the Sephirot toward the Angels. They were on a steady approach. Not intimidated by a mere four human ships. They had come to destroy another entire planet.

  Not this one.

  David was drawing a line.

  Not. This. One.

  He began accelerating toward the Angel ship. Pushing the engines for all they had. It approached rapidly. David banked away, bringing the Sephirot for a broadside run.

  “Fire! Fire all missiles.”

  Two hundred missile tubes launched their payloads, filling the sky and his screen with antimatter warheads. As expected, the Angels concentrated on the missiles. Plasma toroids the size of asteroids took out whole swathes of the attack.

  “Fire the antiproton cannons.”

  The lights dimmed on the ship as the cannons drew vast amounts of energy. The ship bucked from the sudden discharge. A pair of beams appeared, slamming into the Angel hull at the speed of light. Antimatter explosions rippled over the other ship, tearing away its skin. Atmosphere vented.

  An Angel was sucked into space and flew by the view screen.

  The antiproton cannons cut off as the Sephirot strafed by. David twisted as sharply as he could, bringing the ship around for another pass.

  “MAGs.” Time to tear up the insides they had just opened.

  “Mac!” Rachel said. “I’m reading a power up from the Angel—”

  Plasma bolts slammed into the Sephirot. David banked away, trying to get clear. Giant toroids exploded against the hull and directly in front of the bow. David couldn’t turn that sharply. Which forced him to fly right into the plasma blasts.